System and method for collecting data from many vehicles

Abstract

A system and method are provided for collecting data from many vehicles. A vehicle unit with several connectivity options is installed in each vehicle. Each vehicle unit transmits driving characteristic information to a server which records all of the data it receives. In addition, the server is able to interact with the vehicle unit to provide information. A user then requests a particular report or statistic from the server. The server then takes the driving characteristic information from each vehicle including, but not limited to: emissions information, a global navigation satellite system, vehicle brand, geographic area, time of day, crashes, average speed, speed variances, accelerations, acceleration variation, sudden acceleration frequency, sudden deceleration frequency, and car location, and compiles it into data. The server then provides reports and statistics and transmits the report or statistic to the user requesting it.

1 . A system for collecting data from many vehicle comprising:
 at least one server programmed to receive driving characteristic information from many vehicles, the at least one server recording the information, and producing reports of the information in response to requests from a user.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said driving characteristic information and said report include emissions information from more than one vehicle. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , further including a vehicle unit in each of the vehicles, wherein the vehicle unit includes a communication means operable to transmit information to the at least one server. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the vehicle unit includes a processor and storage. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the driving characteristics transmitted by the vehicle units further include crash events. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the driving characteristics transmitted by vehicle units further include speed, location, and acceleration information. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle unit receives real time emission levels from an On-Board Diagnostics port and transmits the emissions levels to the at least one server. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle includes external sensors relaying external conditions to the vehicle unit. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle unit includes a global positioning system receiver. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle unit includes an accelerometer. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle unit includes a wireless communication circuit. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , further including the vehicle unit sending driving characteristic information to the at least one server by wirelessly connecting to a cellular tower, connected to the at least one server, using a cell phone. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said reports include emissions mapped geographically. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said reports include data regarding emissions information crossed with at least one of the following: vehicle brand, geographic area, time of day, crash frequency, average speed, speed variances, accelerations, acceleration variation, sudden acceleration frequency, sudden deceleration frequency, and car density. 
   
   
       15 . A method for collecting data from a vehicle comprising:
 (a) receiving driving characteristic information from a plurality of vehicles in at least one server;   (b) generating a report of statistics and trends by the at least one server based upon the driving characteristic information in response to a request, and   (c) presenting said report from the at least one server to a user.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein driving characteristic information includes emissions information from the vehicles. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (c) further includes a report on emission information being sent to a driver of one of the vehicles. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further including the step of sending reports to a driver. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein step (a) includes the step of receiving speed and acceleration information from the plurality of vehicles, and further including the step of generating the report in said step (b) based upon the speed and acceleration information of the plurality of vehicles on a road segment and based upon historical information of traffic on the road segment. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further including the step of predicting when traffic conditions will change based upon the speed and acceleration information of the plurality of vehicles on the road segment and based upon the historical information of traffic on the road segment, and sending the prediction to a plurality of vehicles other than the plurality of vehicles on the road segment.